Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery

Jaw Bone Health, Loss and Deterioration

A strong and healthy jawbone is essential for activities such as talking and eating food. Additionally, a strong jawbone is necessary to keep all of your teeth in place. With preventative care, you can keep your jaw healthy and functioning properly well into your golden years.

Local Anesthesia

Sometimes your dentist needs to numb a part of your mouth. He or she injects medicine into your gum or inner cheek. This medicine is called local anesthesia. Lidocaine is the most common local anesthetic that dentists use, but there are many others.

There are two kinds of numbing injections. A block injection numbs an entire region of your mouth, such as one side of your lower jaw. An infiltration injection numbs a smaller area. This is the area near where the injection was given.

If you need local anesthesia in order to have your dental treatment done, your dentist will dry part of your mouth with air or cotton. Many dentists then swab the area with a gel to numb the skin. Then your dentist will slowly inject the local anesthetic. Most people don't feel the needle. Instead, the sting they feel is caused by the anesthetic moving into the tissue. An injection of local anesthesia can last up to several hours.

We'll make sure your dental procedures are as pain-free as possible. Call Quail Hollow Family Dentistry at 901-767-3020 to schedule an appointment.

Oral Pathology

Oral pathology is the specialty of dentistry and discipline of pathology that deals with the nature, identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions (the mouth and jaw areas). It is a science that investigates the causes, processes and effects of these diseases. The practice of oral pathology includes research and diagnosis of diseases using clinical, radiographic, microscopic, biochemical or other examinations.

Orofacial Pain

Socket Preservation

When a dentist extracts a tooth, the procedure leaves behind a small hole where the tooth once was. This socket can be very sensitive at first, which is why your dentist may recommend socket preservation to go along with your extraction.

It's not uncommon for the bone that previously supported the tooth to melt away once the tooth is removed – it doesn't serve a purpose anymore. When this bone fades away, however, gaps form between the teeth, or the teeth can move out of alignment. This is why a socket preservation is typically performed at the same time as the tooth extraction itself.

Surgical Extractions

Sometimes trauma, gum disease, cracked or broken teeth, and tooth decay can be too significant, and despite our best efforts to save the tooth, extractions may be the best option. No one wants to lose a tooth, but here at Quail Hollow Family Dentistry, we will make the process as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

When a tooth is visible above the gum line and your dentist can easily remove it with forceps, the procedure is called a simple extraction. If a more volatile tooth has yet to grow in, however, your dentist needs to remove gum tissue or bone in order to extract it. This is called a surgical extraction and may require stitches to close the site so that it can heal properly. It's important to closely follow your dentist's aftercare instructions to speed recovery and avoid any complications.

The surgical extraction of teeth may sound a bit daunting, but with today's modern procedures and anesthesia, you have nothing to worry about. Afterward, you and your dentist can discuss tooth replacement options to restore the function and beauty to your smile.

Your dentist at Quail Hollow Family Dentistry can determine if you need a surgical tooth extraction. Call us at today 901-767-3020.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Most people need their wisdom teeth removed because there isn’t enough space for them to come in properly. They tend to come in at an angle or they don’t fully emerge. Third molars (the wisdom teeth) routinely damage the teeth right next door, called second molars. When wisdom teeth come in sideways like this, it throws off your bite, creates an area where food gets caught, decays both of the teeth and can even cause a painful infection. Dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth before they become a problem and to avoid a more complicated surgery.

Quail Hollow Family Dentistry

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Quail Hollow Family Dentistry welcomes patients with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to receive dental services, we would be happy to provide one. Please contact us at 901-767-3020 to let us know how we may be of assistance.